Oscars Week 2017: My Picks
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| The red carpet is not actually red; it’s more like a burgundy. |
Before I get to all of the tidbits around the Academy and the Dolby Theatre, I’ll bore you with my winners prognostication. Before you roll your eyes, remember that I started covering the Academy Awards six years ago and my picks have been accurate to the point I want to fly to London back them up with a little bit of cash. For the record, I’ve gone on in the major categories with 37 out of 44 correct selections. Here’s the Media Guy choices for the telecast on Sunday:
Best Picture
La La Land
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Emma Stone, La La Land
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| Just to remind everyone…Spielberg and I have two Oscars combined! |
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Viola Davis, Fences
Directing
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Animated Feature Film
Zootopia
Foreign Language Film
The Salesman, Iran
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan
THE COMMERCIALS
Last year’s Oscars drew over 34 million total viewers, Because of that number, a thirty-second commercial on the Oscars telecast will cost you a cool $2 million. This is the most expensive TV buy after the Super Bowl.
Last year’s Oscars featured 80 commercials which generated $115 million in ad revenue which is about equal to the Grammys and Golden Globes combined.
GOVERNOR’S BALL MENU
The 1,500 guests to the Governor’s Ball expect some of Wolfgang Puck’s traditional specialties, but each year they are treated to new dishes to sample, including this year’s treats: gold-dusted popcorn, sweet pea falafel, taro root tacos with shrimp and mango, spice gougeres with black truffle dust, lobster corn dogs and parsnip agnolotti. no small undertaking…
…It takes a lot of fish and cheese to feed that many guests: 3,500 miso tuile cones, 15 pounds of truffles, 350 pounds of Atlantic tuna, 7,500 shrimp, 2,375 pretzels, 4,250 pieces of handmade gnoccetti and 150 pounds of arugula. And don’t forget the Oscar-shaped smoked salmon matzos.
Dessert stations will offer lava cakes, red velvet waffles, and a chocolate buffet with treats including caramel cappucino Oscar lollipops and bonbons in movie theater flavors like Sour Patch Kids.
THE OSCARS SWAG BAG
A pelvic floor exercise tracker, a sweat absorber and a CPR kit might not seem the most exciting of gifts for anyone, let alone a Hollywood star. But these, along with a Hawaiian holiday, a California ranch experience and personal training sessions are just some of the gifts in the unofficial Oscars swag bag courtesy of Los Angeles-based Distinctive Assets.
A five-night holiday to Kōloa Landing, a luxurious resort on Hawaii’s Kauai island is included, costing around $1,150 a night, along with a week at Golden Door, an exclusive California spa where a “Classic Women’s Week” costs around $8,850.
If the nominee prefers a European adventure, then a three-night stay in a suite at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como is also on offer, which retails at around $1,400 a night, before taxes. Also in the swag bag are three nights in the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, where a suite costs upwards of $700 a night.
Quirkier gifts include a hydrating mist “for improved vocal cord management and skin regeneration,” a SweetCheeks cellulite massage mat, and a t-shirt from Happiest Tee, to “celebrate your happy place.”
NOMINEES QUESTIONNAIRES
This year, the Academy released some of the questionnaires submitted by the nominees providing a fascinating look at the the stars. Here’s a couple of note…Nicole Kidman and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
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